Recessed lighting fixture



Deg-'10, 1957 N. E. DASHER RECESSED LIGHTING FIXTURE Fild March 26, 1956 v I N V EN TOR. NOE 76W E. 045553 4 .07702/VEV5 United States Patent 2,816,216 RECESSED LIGHTING FIXTURE Norman E. Dasher, Burbank, Caliii, assignor to Marvin Electric Manufacturing Company, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Application March 26, 1956, Serial No. 573,821 3 Claims. (Cl. 248-48) My invention relates to a recessed lighting fixture and more specifically to a recessed lighting fixture formed of a housing set into a ceiling so that the outer light bezel is flush with the ceiling. Lighting fixtures of this type heretofore produced are of two types; one has a housing so deep that in many installations it cannot be used because there is not sufficient room between the ceiling and the floor next above. This type is used because the light bulb contained in the housing hangs straight down and can be removed and replaced with a bulb changer. The second type and more common type of recessed lighting fixture is comparatively shallow so as to go between the ceiling and the floor next above, and in this type the light bulb is in a horizontal position. None of the regular bulb changers can be used on such a light structure.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a shallow housing recessed lighting fixture in which the light bulb is in a horizontal position and to provide means connected with the lens bezel which would cause the light bulb to drop into a vertical position when the bezel is open so that a bulb changer could be used in connection therewith.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments thereof.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of my recessed lighting fixture.

Figure 2 is a partial section similar to Figure 1 with the light bezel open.

Figure 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

A recessed lighting fixture constructed in accordance with my invention has a housing 1 which may be rectangular, circular or other shape which is adapted to be set into a ceiling of a room so that the flange 2 forms a plaster guard around the edge of the hole in the ceiling and will lie substantially in line with the outer edge of the ceiling. The flange 2 extends inwardly into the housing as shown at 3 and provides a means of attaching an inner frame 4 to the housing. The inner frame 4 extends into the housing and has a flange 5 which provides an inner stop for the lens bezel 6. The lens bezel 6 carries an ordinary light dilfusing lens which, for the purposes of clarity, is not shown in the drawings. The light bezel 6 has pivots 7 which are attachedto go through the slot 8 in the frame 4 and form a hinge so that the bezel 6 may be opened. At the opposite end of the frame 4 from the slot 8 I provide a latch mechanism 9 which comprises a hanger 10 carrying a pivot 11 upon which a latch member 12 rotates. The latch member 12 is connected to the flange 5 by means of a spring 13. A hook 14 extends through a slot 15 in the flange 5 and a slot 16in a lock 17 attached to the frame 4. The book member 14 is tapered at 18 so that when the bezel is shoved closed the taper 18 will force the hook 14 into the center of the slots 15 and 16 until the edge 19 of the hook 14 has passed through the slots when the spring 13 will force the surface 19 into engagement with the inner surface of the lock 17, thus holding the bezel 6 in its closed position.

A tripping member 20 is held in the guide 21 on the 2,816 ,2 l b Patented Dec. 10, 1957 frame 4 so that its inner edge engages the latch mechanism 9 and its outer end extends from the flange 3.

When my recessed lighting fixture is mounted in a ceiling, any instrument such as the end of a bulb changer can be used to press the trip 20 to disengage the hook 14, and the bezel 6 will fall into a vertical position.

Attached to one of the side walls of the housing 1 are hinged members 22, which support a platform 23 to which is attached a light bulb socket 24. Arcuate arms 25 are attached at 26 to the bezel 6 and extend through slots 27 in the flange 5. These arcuate arms 25 have a stop 28 at their inner ends which engage the flange 5 when the bezel is open, to support the same in substantially a vertical position. Flange members 30 are provided upon the platform 23 to provide a pivot 31 for the levers 32. The levers 32 are pivotally connected at 33 to the arcuate arms 25. By this connection when the bezel 6 is opened the platform 23 is pulled into a substantially horizontal position causing the light bulb 40 carried in the socket 28 to hang substantially vertical, and when the bezel 6 is closed by pushing upwardly with a bulb changer the action of the arcuate arms 25 and the lever 32 forces the platform 23 into a substantially vertical position, placing the light bulb 40 in a horizontal position.

Any type of reflector, such as painting the inside of the housing 1 white, or an actual mirrored reflector such as shown at 41, can be used to concentrate the light from the light bulb 40 through the bezel 6.

A recessed lighting fixture constructed as aforesaid can thus be made shallow, as the depths of the side walls need to be only slightly deeper than the width of an electric light bulb and can be mounted between a ceiling and the floor next above in most buildings and a bulb changer can be used to change the bulbs 40, as when the bezel 6 is opened by the actuation of the trip 20 the bezel 6 falls into a vertical position and pulls the light bulb itself into the same position where a bulb changer can substitute light bulbs.

I claim:

1. In a recessed lighting fixture, a housing, a bezel hinged to said housing, latching means to keep said bezel closed, a pivotally mounted light bulb socket carried by said housing, lever means connecting said bezel and said socket to maintain said socket in a horizontal inaccessible position when said bezel is closed and to move said socket into a vertical accessible position when said bezel is open.

2. In a recessed lighting fixture, a housing, a hinged bezel on the bottom of said housing, a supporting platform for a light bulb socket normally in a vertical inaccessible position, a socket on said platform, means connecting said bezel and said platform to move said platform into a horizontal accessible position when said bezel is opened.

3. In a recessed lighting fixture, a housing, a bezel hinged to said housing, latching means to keep said bezel closed, a hinged platform for a light bulb socket normally in a vertical inaccessible position, a socket carried by said platform to support a light bulb in a horizontal position, and means connecting said bezel and said platform to move said platform into a horizontal accessible position when said bezel is opened.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,218,731 Tuck et a1. Oct. 22, 1940 2,587,371 Nettesheim Feb. 26, 1952 2,678,381 Schwartz May 11, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 732,057 Great Britain June 15, 1955 

